Posted by Ashley Gannon on Mar 12, 2010
Get ready. The Rally is headed for the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville July 22-25. One of the RV Nation’s biggest gatherings, The Rally draws more than 10,000 RV enthusiasts for a long weekend of RV exhibits, commercial product booths, educational seminars, contests, fun and first class nightly entertainment. This year’s big acts include legendary comedian Bob Newhart on July 22 and country-music singer Tanya Tucker on July 23.
This year’s Rally will celebrate the centennial anniversary of RVing in America with an Oldest RV at the Rally contest, the winner to receive 100 gallons of fuel. A unique display of vintage RVs will allow visitors to experience the many changes in RV life over the decades. New this year, Trailer Life publisher Bob Livingston and his wife will lead an RV caravan on a special Centennial Caraventure from Elkhart, Indiana to the Rally.
The Rally is a wonderful opportunity to scope out the latest RV models and features and products, get advice form RV experts and rub shoulders with fellow travelers in the RV nation. It’s a great experience for RV newcomers, veteran RVers and folks who are contemplating joining the RV nation but haven’t taken the plunge.
With more than 4,500 RVs descending on Louisville, it’s a good idea to make your Rally reservations early. You can find complete Rally information, including campground locations, on TheRally.com.
Posted by nancy@mccordweb.com on Feb 03, 2010
If you don’t have an RV then you may not know why RV owners love their recreational vehicle. Here are eight reasons that RV owners love the RV lifestyle.
1. Freedom – you can travel when and where you want in your mini portable home.
2. No Bed Bugs For You – with bed bugs being a real problem in many highly trafficked holiday destinations and being found in the poshest hotels, you don’t have to worry. You’re sleeping in your OWN bed.
3. Camaraderie – RV owners are friendly, when you stay at a campground or RV area, you are bound to meet others who love the freedom that an RV lifestyle brings. Many RV’ers travel in club groups and share vacations year after year.
4. You always have a bathroom – don’t wait in line for the bathroom you’ve got built in convenience.
5. Save money – with restaurants costing sometimes an arm and a leg, save your money by eating breakfast and lunch made in your portable kitchen in your RV. With the savings you can afford to splurge on dinners out at your new destination or on your way.
6. Move around – you won’t get cramps when you’re riding in an RV, as a passenger you can move around, watch TV, read a book, take a nap, and prepare a snack. We do remind you though be safe and when you are seated buckle up!
7. Travel on your schedule – want to explore where you’ve landed? With an RV you set your schedule. No more hassle at the front desk asking for another night or paying a premium to stay over on the weekend. You are in charge stay or go when you want.
8. Stretch out – no more living out of a suitcase! You can pack as much or as little as you want, you’ve got the space to stretch out and spread out your belongings. With more space you can pack more than the essentials.
Posted by RV Pro on Jan 25, 2010
Consider it a testimony to the popularity of RV travel. Love-lorn bachelor Jake Pavelka, star of the fourth season of ABC’s popular The Bachelor series, loads up this season’s bevy of beautiful hopefuls tonight and strikes out on a week-long RV tour. Temporarily trading in his pilot’s wings for keys to a luxury RV, Jake and the gals sample RV life in a rented de luxe Class A motorhome.
Admittedly, the group will be experiencing the high end of RV life. The Bachelor, after all, is known for immersing its contestants in the finer things of life. But it should be interesting to see where they go — producers promise that the gang will tour “some of the wildest places imaginable” — and whether RV travel helps the group pull together or whether the closeness tears them apart. RV travel is known and enjoyed for its ability to bring families together, but Jake and his beauties certainly aren’t your typical “family.”
Teasers for the show do make it sound like RV travel manages to advance the cause of love. Producers did say that some of the comments overheard from the back of the RV were enough to “make these grown men blush.” Check out the new episode tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern on your local ABC station.
RV rentals are a great way to checkout different RV models and see if the RV lifestyle is for you. Find RV rentals and great buys on new and used RVs on RVT.com.
Posted by RV Pro on Jan 22, 2010
RVs are going green. Consumers are scaling back on their expenses but not their lifestyle. RV buers want comfortable spaces and great features tied up in an energy-efficient, fuel-efficient package that’s cheap to operate – and RV manufacturers are working hard to deliver. In the last week we’ve talked about new energy-saving construction techniques and materials, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. New technology and innovative ideas are finding their way into mainstream RV design and construction. Here are some of the new green RV features to watch for:
> LED lights are being featured in both exterior and interior lighting applications. LED lights consume just one-quarter of the electricity required by conventional lighting, and lamps last more than 10 times as long.
> Fuel cell technology manufactured in Germany is getting a test run in the U.S. Light-weight, compact fuel cells have the potential to replace generators as an RV energy source.
> Energy Star appliances are becoming standard.
> Light-weight composites and sustainable materials like bamboo are being used in the construction of counters, cabinets and flooring.
> Light-weight aluminum frame/foam cushion furniture and beds are being created especially for RV use.
> Double-pane, tinted acrylic windows with integrated roller blinds keep RVs cooler on hot, sunny days.
> Integrated solar energy roofs will eventually replace mounted solar panels.
> Retractable wind turbines that can be raised onsite and lowered during travel will provide an additional RV energy source.
Posted by RV Pro on Jan 20, 2010
In addition to light-weight composite construction, RV manufacturers are introducing more aerodynamic designs, lighter-weight exterior and interior components, feather-light foam insulation and a host of other improvements to decrease the weight of RVs. Fuel and energy efficiency certainly head the list of goals, but some RV travel trailer manufacturers also aim to create RVs light enough to be pulled by the average 4-cylinder family sedan — and they’re getting closer.
At December’s National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Jayco showed off a new, aerodynamic, V-n0se front profile for its 2011 Skylark travel trailer. Jayco further streamlined the RV trailer by moving the air conditioner off the roof and repositioning it at the floor line. In addition to increasing aerodynamics, this lowered the trailer’s center of gravity, allowing Jayco to use a single axle system that further lightens Skylark’s load.
New RVs feature light-weight aluminum shell and frame construction instead of heavier wood. Some manufacturers are moving to even lighter-weight composites and experimenting with a variety of recycled content for exterior and interior features. One manufacturer is constructing shells out of a new durable Fiberglas.
RV manufacturers are also working to cut construction (and sales prices) by recycling and reusing construction materials. Construction scrap is being recycled into RV components like storage unit doors and light-weight cabinet doors.
With marketable hybrid RVs still in their infancy, decreasing RV weight seems to be the most effective way to increase RV fuel efficiency.
Posted by RV Pro on Jan 18, 2010
The RV industry is going green. Many of the most exciting innovations on display at the annual RV show in Louisville were aimed at making RVs more energy efficient and even more environmentally friendly. Since most RVers are already tuned into the environment, it seems to be a good fit. Crowds were particularly attracted to many of the new green RVs on display that featured solar panels, wind turbines, sustainable interiors, light-weight composite construction (see our January 15 post), hybrid fuels and other eco-friendly innovations.
So much interest has been generated in producing green RVs that T.R. Arnold and Associates, a respected international accredited certifier of quality management systems, is rolling out a green certification program for RVs. Similar to the LEED green building certification program sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, the new TRA Green Certification promises to apply green building standards to RV manufacturing, particularly the manufacturing of park model RVs.
The company is currently working with the RV industry to develop reliable standards that can be applied not only to the construction of RVs and more fuel-efficient engines but to RV products like awnings, appliances, light fixtures, etc. A TRA Green Certification designation will guarantee RV buyers that the RV they are purchasing has (1) been constructed using green building materials and techniques that create minimal impact on the environment and (2) that its operating systems, appliances and special features are energy efficient.
Posted by RV Pro on Jan 15, 2010
Composite materials are one of the new innovations in RV construction that are revolutionizing the RV industry. Light-weight composite materials are one of the newest eco-friendly features driving the green revolution in RV construction. Composite materials are allowing RV manufacturers to build lighter RVs. Less weight translates into greater fuel efficiency and savings at the gas pump — a guaranteed selling point with RV buyers.
At the National RV Trade show in Louisville last month, potential RV buyers were wowed by EverGreen’s introduction of its new Ever-Lite fifth-wheel RV trailer. The first-ever all-composite RV, the 30-foot Ever-Lite weighs in at a slight 7,500 pounds fully equipped. Built using a new ComposiTek construction process originally developed for the military, the Ever-Lite features seamless, one-piece construction integrated onto an I-beam frame. Composite materials are vacuum laminated onto a structural frame made of double-welded aluminum. The result is an extremely light-weight yet durable RV that the manufacturer says will stand up better than traditionally-constructed RVs to punishing road conditions and constant travel.
Besides their lighter weight, composite materials offer additional important advantages. Composite materials are tougher and more durable than standard RV building materials. Totally wood-free exteriors and one-piece construction make these RVs impervious to moisture. No more worries about dry-rot, mold and mildew!
Composite materials are just one of the new green products that are changing the RV industry. Next week we’ll tell you what else is coming round the bend!
Posted by RV Pro on Jan 13, 2010
Listen carefully and you can hear America groaning! Income tax booklets have started arriving in the mail. Happily, there’s a bit of silver lining for RVers this tax season. Folks who vacation, live or work from a recreational vehicle may be eligible for a certain deductions on their federal income taxes. That’s good news for the thousands of folks who enjoy the comfortable, carefree RV lifestyle. This year’s RV tax deductions should make life a little easier for cash-strapped families who use their RVs for economical family trips, retirees on fixed incomes who have embraced the affordability of full-time RVing, mobile workers who enjoy the convenience of RV life, and the many other folks who enjoy RVing.
Check with the IRS or your tax consultant to determine your eligibility for specific deductions. Look for these RV tax deductions on this year’s tax return:
> An RV used as second home may qualify as an itemized deduction; but the RV must contain a toilet, cooking facilities and sleeping accommodations.
> If you purchased a new RV this year, you may be able to deduct the sales tax you paid.
> Many states allow deduction of a portion of RV registration fees.
> If you work from your RV or use it for business entertaining or transportation, you may be able to claim certain business deductions.
With the IRS lending a hand, it’s a great time to purchase an RV and take advantage of the incredible online deals available on RVT.com.
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2003 Fleetwood SOUTHWIND Penngrove, CA
2006 Newmar Ventana 3936 Colorado Springs, CO
2009 Heartland SUNDANCE XLT 33ft Bunk House Trailer - Sleeps 10 - Large Slide-out! Colorado Springs, CO
2007 Forest River Surveyor Colorado Springs, CO
2011 Heartland 3300RCB Manchester, ME